Remember...

You wake up cold. Something you aren’t used to as you always wake up tangled together with your dragon. You roll over and see the spot next to you in the nest is empty. You’ve never woken up alone with no word before. If Sylus ever leaves the cave, he tells you. You look around for a note or a sign of life to no avail. 

Sylus is gone. With no warning or explanation. 

You automatically think the worst, worry spreading through your whole body. You throw on one of the nightgowns Sylus gifted you and rush out of the cave. There’s one other spot he can be outside. The fresh spring just downwind of the cave entrance where you and him bathe. 

You shuffle down the hill and when the spring is in eyesight, you stop. In the water, you see your dragon, limbs stretched out, tail floating next to him. His arms rest against the edge of the pool. You let out a sigh of relief. He is okay. Just went to the spring without telling you. You still worry if something is wrong, but the imminent danger is gone. 

You walk over slower, approaching carefully. You can see his eyes are closed and you don’t want to startle him. When you get close enough, his eyes open, instantly scrunching from the sunlight. He lifts a clawed hand to shield his eyes, managing a small smile when he sees you. 

“Don’t come too close, sweetie.”

You stop, tilting your head. “Why? Are you okay? I was worried when you weren’t in the cave.”

Sylus purses his lips and nods. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I woke up feeling warm. Too warm. I didn’t want to wake you. I came down here to cool off.”

Your brow furrows. “Sylus, honey, are you sick?”

He doesn’t answer right away. His tail flicks in the water. The same way it does when he is annoyed. His body language always gives away what his face never will. 

“No.”

You give him a look. “Sylus.”

He growls, closing his eyes again. You resume walking towards him. 

“Don’t growl at me, mister. Be honest please.”

He doesn’t open his eyes. “I’m…feeling out of sorts.”

You shake your head, arriving next to him at the edge of the pool. You lift the skirt of your nightgown and sit, dunking your legs in the cool water. Your knee is pressed against his arm.

“You’re sick, Sy. It’s okay to be sick.”

He growls again, not at you this time. Just a general display of his discontent. “Dragons don’t get sick.”

“Uh huh. Sure.”

You reach up and press your hand to his forehead, then his cheek and his neck. He instinctively leans into your touch. Sylus always runs hot, but this is beyond what you have felt before. He’s burning. Your heart pangs thinking of how uncomfortable he must be. No wonder he came right down to the spring. 

“Oh, Sy. You weren’t kidding. Are you hurting anywhere else?”

He keeps your hand on his cheek, leaning into it. You feel a soft purr vibrating from him. 

“My limbs. They feel heavy and it’s uncomfortable to move them. My head feels like it does after we have too much wine.”

You nod, stroking his cheek with your thumb. “Sounds like a cold. I bet it was from the other night when you got caught in the rain while hunting.”

He groans, his eyes opening just slightly to look at you. You use your other hand to protect him from the sun. You smile at him solemnly. 

“Looks like I get to take care of you for once.”

You lean down and kiss him on the forehead then the nose. His breath hitches and he flinches a little. 

“I don’t want you to feel this way, sweetie. I should probably sleep outside for a few days. Until this blows over.”

You scoff. “I don’t think so. You need to be inside and comfortable to get better, baby. When you are done here, you are getting back into bed and I’ll get you everything you need.”

“Kitten—”

“No arguments. This is happening. I’m going to take care of my mate and that’s final.”

You smile down at him, knowing you’ll win the argument. You can get him to do almost anything if you just remind him you are his mate. It softens him instantly. His pupils widen as he looks up at you. He decides he’s too tired to argue further.

He sits up, kneeling in the pool in front of you. He wraps his arms around your mid section and rests his head in your lap. His face is buried in your skirt, nuzzling against your tummy. His tail wraps around one of your legs. 

You have to bite your lip from squealing at how adorable he is. You wanna squeeze him and kiss him all over. But you’ll save it for when he feels better. You run your fingers through his hair, scooping up some of the water and pouring it over his neck. He relaxes more and more, slumping against you until he is purring loudly. 

He’s comfortable for the first time since he woke up, holding his beloved. He hated leaving you alone this morning. Untangling from you and coming down to the water without a word went against his instincts. But he wanted you to sleep. He didn’t want you to catch whatever was making him feel so weak. 

Weakness. A foreign feeling to him. He wouldn’t admit it to you, but he’s been sick before. Rarely, but it happens. He left you alone because he didn’t want you to see him like this. What kind of mate would he be if he was undone by a simple virus? Pathetic. 

But then you come down and insist upon taking care of him. His sweet, sweet mate. You want to take care of him as much as he does you. He never thought he would have someone who cares about him at all, let alone how much you do. He knows how fortunate he is and does not plan to take you for granted. Ever.

He will protect you and love you until the end of his days and beyond. He will find you in every single life he lives and do the same. Until the end of time. Until doomsday comes for both of you.